Data-centric engineering and technology have the potential to enhance safety at sea but could also diminish the role of seafarers and lead to a loss of skills, Professor Richard Clegg, managing director of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, told delegates at the Britain and the Sea conference held at the Royal Society of Arts on Tuesday.
Discussing education, research and development at the conference, organised during LISW by the Maritime Foundation in cooperation with Plymouth University, Prof Clegg highlighted robotics and autonomous systems, advanced materials and nanotechnology, big data, 3D printing and the Internet of Things as transformational technologies in the marine sector.
“As a foundation, we are interested in enhancing safety of life and in education and training. New technology can, ironically, diminish the role of the seafarer. That includes over-confidence and over-reliance on, and lack of understanding, of the technology. Higher operator skills are needed but the operator roles become more mundane. Traditional hands-on experience is lost as the operator roles focus more on monitoring.”
The risk, he said, could be a ‘blind faith in technology’.
“Therefore investment in technology was not just about engineering but also about the human interface, if we are not to lose touch with seafarers’ practical skills,” he added.
Speaking of future scenarios triggered by development of technology Clegg said if there is one thing that will rewrite the landscape today, “it is big data analytics.”
3D printing and the ability to print and manufacture components will also lead to big change, he said.
“We think of it at the moment as just printing little gaming figures but these are going to be components that will be safety-critical and manufactured at the point of need. It will re-write the way manufacturing is done.”
The prediction is that additive manufacturing could reduce the global container shipping market by 39%, he said.
Another benefit highlighted by Prof Clegg is the ability of the big data to contribute to saving human exposure to hazards and risks, providing early warnings and prediction of failure, feedback into design and enhanced system resilience.